The present invention is concerned with a method and apparatus for automatically selecting program sources. In particular, it is concerned with the interface of two specific program sources, such as a video cassette machine and an audio cassette machine, wherein a user has designated particular information from the video cassette machine for viewing.
Video cassette machines combined with video displays have obtained wide acceptance and usage in a great variety of environments. One such particular environment includes stand-alone marketing displays located in retail outlets. Such displays permit users (i.e., potential customers) to view selected marketing materials in accordance with their particular interests. Similar user-oriented stand-alone displays are especially useful and frequently used in educational environments, where no marketing is involved.
In either instance, and any other such similar situations, the user (potential customer or student) must experience a variable delay period while a search involving fast forward or rewind operation is undertaken to locate the desired information stored on the video cassette. Such time periods may involve as much as 31/2 minutes whenever the desired information is located a maximum distance away from the present position of the tape of the video cassette. Such a delay is of extreme potential detriment in either the potential customer or student environment inasmuch as a critical attention span may be lost.
The present invention addresses this problem of potential attention loss by suitably interfacing a second program source (such as an audio cassette machine) with the primary user-selectable program source (such as a video cassette machine). Apparatus is disclosed by the present invention for interfacing a known program source control device with two program sources, and a method of operation for the total display system is taught.